A further navy clean sweep came in the women’s parallel sprint, although the Royal Air Force claimed silver in the sprint and bronze in the classic to put a slight dent in an otherwise impressive medal haul.
“They had a particularly strong team with all their top racers available,” Army captain Major Adam Smith (Welsh Guards) told SoldierSport.
“In the past few years, the navy has invested a lot in the same people and they are now reaping the rewards. “We have seen this coming and they have put a marker down.
We know the standard we must chase and are growing in terms of financial investment in Telemark to develop pathways that are more than just a couple of weeks at the start of the year.
“It is about bringing this to the summer and getting people on the snow at the beginning of the winter season.” One bright note for the army came from Captain Ben Heaton (Royal Tank Regiment), who was named best newcomer, while Captain Ellie Thorn (Royal Signals) performed well alongside her efforts in the Alpine disciplines.
The team has also recruited ex-GB racer Major Nobby Clarke (Royal Artillery) as coach in a move that Majoir Smith believes will pay dividends down the line.
“He is one of the founding fathers of British Telemark,” the officer added. “Bringing him on board will help drive the team forward.
“Telemark is a hard sell. Skiing is not necessarily a sport a lot of people have done before joining the army and when they get involved it is predominantly in Alpine. “But if they are good at that they can be good at Telemark as well.
We are always looking for people and if they are not placing as high as they would like in Alpine they can come here and perhaps do better.
“The Army Championships, Ex Telemark Titan, are growing year on year and if skiers want to come and try something different, that is a great opportunity.” To get involved follow @britisharmytelemark on Instagram.
